The Big Dry

It’s hard to under-estimate the challenge; the world premiere of a new play in a professional theatre, where carriage of the drama rested almost solely on teenagers and a child. Throw into the mix the need to re-create the atmosphere of a futuristic world dominated by dust storms, fighting over scarce resources and a Police state with only one set to play with on a small stage.

Did they succeed? Yes and then some. The Big Dry was only published as a novel three years ago. The adaptation is about two brothers left alone in a house that is falling apart. They eat through precious supplies of tin cans and drink dirty water that runs out of a rusty taps, as toxic dust storms and authorities swirl around them.  It’s a terrifying vision of the future where climate change has ruined the earth and shops, like parents, don’t exist anymore.

Into the house comes an intruder – a girl who threatens their precious supply of food and introduces dangerous concepts, such as a path to leave the house.

The only adult in the cast is a minor character. Richards Sydenham made cameo appearances as either The Rabbit Man, a Police Officer or a Neighbour.

The Director, Fraser Corfield from the Australian Theatre for Young People, said he could not recall a new play debuting on a professional theatre stage where almost the entire responsibility for the drama rested on children.

The youngest was 12 year old Jack Andrew as Beeper. He told me afterwards that the challenge of being able to workshop the play and having to re-do the ending at one of the last previews was ‘cool’.

This summed up his performance. He developed a nice rapport with his big brother George (Rory Potter) who has to grow up before his time, trying to be ‘a father’ at the age of 15, warding off danger and keeping it together under incredible stress. As the intruder Emily, Sophia Nolan was an intriguing mix of being a threat and a potential friend to the boys.

 Aiding the drama was the effective set. The Big Dry could lend itself to a Mad Max style epic landscape but in this case all of the production was in their kitchen. It looked suitably fragile and dusty. Only the opening and slamming of the door gave the audience a peak to the outside world. The use of light, sound and just enough haze made it thoroughly believable.

The school children in the audience were thoroughly engaged and an adult noted at the Q and A session afterwards that she was especially taken by the themes of coping with a difficult situation and finding a way through it.

The Big Dry has the feel of a classic in the making.

David Spicer

Photographer: Clare Hawley